This disclosure relates to vehicle telematics, and more particularly to devices, systems, and methods for sending and receiving messages using a vehicle data communications module (DCM). Consumer vehicles can be equipped with short-range wireless data connections, such as those utilizing the Bluetooth™ standards, that allow the driver to connect a mobile phone or other mobile device to the vehicle's multimedia system (sometimes referred to as the vehicle's “head unit,” controlled by a computing device). With the phone connected to the head unit using the Bluetooth connection, the driver can use the vehicle's audio system, including speakers and microphones, for a phone call made by the phone to an outside party.
In addition, data such as emails and text messages can also be sent from the phone or other mobile device to the vehicle head unit using the Bluetooth connection. This allows the driver to read the emails or text messages on the vehicle's display rather than on the phone. Alternately, the vehicle head unit can employ text-to-speech conversion to read the emails or text messages aloud, which can increase driver safety and does not require the driver to divert attention from the road.
Vehicle head units can also include voice recognition capabilities to allow the driver to issue spoken commands to control vehicle functions. These voice recognition capabilities can allow the vehicle head unit to convert the driver's speech to text, thereby allowing the driver to dictate an outgoing email or text message or to reply to a previously received email or text message in a safe manner. However, some mobile devices do not support receiving this type of data from the vehicle over the Bluetooth connection. As an example, some versions of the Apple iPod's operating system do not support sending an email or text message composed using an external device (such as the vehicle head unit) and sent to the iPod over the Bluetooth connection.